Wednesday, July 25, 2012

For this weeks 'What's new Wednesday' over on the Olive Grove facebook page, we decided to focus on kids wear and beef up that colorful corner of the store. Everyone has made some awesome things, but I just have to show you mine...

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

so took my trusty $20 off voucher to spottie on the weekend and got some.

I had finished another beanie during the week in this cluster design,

So applied my new cluster skills to use the same pattern for a cowl

in this awesome Dijon color I picked up.

I then made ...and remade a cowl in an awesome 12ply rusty color. But it still looks terrible, So I'm researching a good pattern to use on a chunky wool. Anything tight or delicate is just lost on such a thick wool. It needs to be really open I think, so it keeps it's drape.

I tell you, in the time I've spent making and undoing this rusty one I could have finished all the other colors.
But I will not be defeated, Oh rusty wool. I will make you beautiful.
Jay xx

Friday, July 13, 2012

I decided to re-open my poor neglected Etsy shop and totally forgot how much hard work it is. In my mind I was thinking, grab a bundle of new stuff, take pics of the clearance stuff and bob's your Uncle.

But 3 days later...

Nah it's all good.
The reality is, a normal person would just upload one or two things here and there. I was trying to put 2 or 3 of each of the things I do, so I could represent a fair amount of my range....Hmmm...Seems I do a lot!

But, you know, diversity adds interest and the reality is making/creating/dreaming/designing is the driving force, the blood in my veins. So of course there is a lot.

Worst part was my little shop front message. It went something along the lines of 'My Etsy shop is closed whilst I focus on an exciting new clothing range, stay tuned for updates soon'

Oh No...I guess my idea of SOON, was about two years.

So slack. but....onwards and upwards. Back on track. I look forward to exploring all the new features.

A lot has changed. Etsy is pretty jiggy with it and now have Apps', Connections to Facebook, twitter and Pinterest, live feeds on your activity and more.
I feel like a kid on my first day of high school all over again.

Oh and apologies to my FB page likers for 3 days of Spamming....they have a feature on Etsy, that when you upload products you can link to you FB feed and let your page followers know. Was fun at first, but in retrospect a bit Spammy. Soz...I was a kid in a candy shop.

Life goes back to normal...Now...Well as normal as it gets around here.
Jay xx

Sunday, July 8, 2012

I'm getting better at it, thanks to Jennie's advice on how to mark the beginning of your round. Makes all the difference.

The shaping is coming along nicely, although my end result in sizing is somewhat unpredictable.

The first pattern was in a 1980's Womens weekly book and had all sorts of terminology I didn't understand. I get the DC, HDC, CH, SL ST... but was thrown by a few others MC, ISC and INC for example and they didn't have the key to their little codes anywhere, so I had to call in the big guns .... Mum to the rescue.

Seems MC = main color CC1 = color change one and inc h tr means you have to increase hmmm. I reckon these pattern writers are LAZZZYYYY. Is it so hard to just write stop using blue and start using the red!

And how about saying... do two htr's in the next hole, then one etc...not just inc h tr, rep from *

My goodness, it's like learning Morse code. You know, the crochet bit is easy easy it's reading the lazy patterns that does your head in. Thank god I have my interpreter on call ( Mum xx)

So anyways, rant over...

I made this, which worked out well and to the correct size based on instructions from my 1980 Woman's day book.

Then I made this one following a pattern I found on Ravelry. Whilst it was my best attempt yet at having a shaped crown, the sizing was way off. It was supposed to be a 3-5 year old and I reckon it's 3 - 6 month old.

I think ... after googling and staying up far too late last night trying to conquer this thing, I think I'm doing it wrong. Well obviously! But to be precise I think I'm putting my stick into the middle of stitches and not in between the top two. That's the only thing I can think that might effect the out come. My stitch count is spot on, per round, so it's not that.

I dunno.
I have not been beaten though. I will carry on with my experiments as with each attempt I can see I am getting better.
I'm knowing where my rounds start and stop, counting my stitches... two little changes that make a big difference and hats are a perfect size project to test on. They don't take too long to do and they'll always fit someone.

I know I'd be too sad if I'd devoted that time to a Cardigan only to see it wasn't working and had to be unravelled.
But a few more attempts and I reckon I'm ready for a garment...

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Sunday, July 1, 2012

So today, I roused up some yarn I had lying around the house, grabbed the nearest crochet stick and committed to making something that was not a scarf.

Perfect time to start a challenge, what with being 11 degrees and pouring outside.
I headed to the newly joined, Ravelry site and searched beginners beanie.

It's a size 2-3 and I mostly followed the pattern except for adding a few rows of double crochet, which occurred purely out of my wish to get it done quicker.

Although I quite like the effect.

I tried the finished hat on Mstr.Finn and found it to be to high in the crown, but then thought it was probably more about it being a bit tight and not big enough to pull down any further to fill the crown, hence my decision that it's a size 2-3.

Knowing it didn't quite fit my little one, I decided to add a flower and make it for a little girl instead.

I'm quite happy with my first attempt at crocheting something that was not a scarf, but will try to find a beanie that is more shaped on top rather then a square pulled in.